2019 i3s - reading uncomfortable riding car

[JimBmwi3s]

I reside in rural area … roads not bad. Worse in near by town - Target parking lot full of pot holes for example. Mostly will use for local errands 50 miles a day. Some highway.

I’ve been on YouTube and there are a lot of posts on how uncomfortable the ride is. On the car I’m looking at, looks like new tires at 2300 miles and 6800 miles. I’m figuring 2000 in tires a years is a lot of gas.

I can’t believe a BMW can have a poor comfort ride. Reading new tires every 10,000 miles. Is this all true?

 

[eNate]

I don't think any of it is true.

Mine isn't an S though – and it's on more compliant 19" tires.

I certainly wouldn't judge ride quality in a pothole-riddled parking lot.

 

[bornelectric2018]

I've never driven a non-S (I own an i3s), but the ride of the i3s doesn't strike me as particularly harsh, especially when compared with how harsh of a ride many performance cars can have on city streets. The short wheelbase of the car does make it a bit more prone to porpoising on concrete highways with expansion joints, but I've read that the added stiffness of the i3s suspension gives it better highway manners than the non-S model.

Tire wear depends on several factors, including driving style and road type. If you make good use of regenerative braking (one-pedal driving), you may find that the rear tires wear much more quickly than the front tires. I've certainly found that to be the case for me. If you're mainly driving on straight roads/highways, not pushing the car hard in corners, and not flooring the accelerator from a dead stop, you'll experience longer tread life than if you really punish the car.

 

[gt1]

I've never had an "s", but I went from i3 with 20" wheels to the one with 19". The ride quality on the 19" is better, and they are not prone to punctures. My 20" was REX, and I had to patch the tires more often than I filled it with gas.

 

[SSi3]

If you're concerned about a stiff ride, don't get an s... I love mine but it is a solid ride, very similar to any MINI Cooper S.

As for the tires, I haven't worn mine out yet but they are very soft and sticky, not meant for long life or maximum range.

Get a non-s i3 with the 19" wheels/tires, their ride is more compliant, but still BMW-like... meaning not soft and uncontrolled.

 

[stumbledotcom]

I believe it depends on your previous frame of reference. The i3 pulled in more first-time BMW drivers than their other models. I suspect that explains the frequent anecdotal comments about harsh ride. I have a history of driving European performance models. The first car I bought with my own money was a VW GTI Mk1. And our current other car is an E90 with the M-sport suspension. In comparison, I find the i3 even with the 20" wheels and summer performance tires on the plush side.

 

[websterize]

Reading about ride feel is one thing, while taking a test ride is another. How did the test ride feel?